Moonlight
by Mint Mochi
Summary: A new school year starts, as the life of a hedgehog named Selene starts as a spin-off. Will a new boy at the school change her life? Or will it make it even worse?
1. Chapter 1: A New Year

**Moonlight**

By Leaf the Earth Guardian

Sidewalks were cluttered with Mobians of all kinds; hedgehogs, cats, foxes, and almost anything you can imagine of. Some of the females were all cluttered up in a giant group, whispering, giggling, and catching up what they had missed during the summer vacation. Others were guys, being immature and playfully wrestling each other, trying to knock one off its feet. The atmosphere was filled with joy; only one Mobian didn't feel good at all.

Between the cliques of boys and girls was an outsider; no one would ever care of her. She was a torn outcast. Some females gossiped that she was emo. Others say she was homeless. No one cared.

The pale hedgehog tilted her head down and gazed at her shoes; the same ones as always: some black rubber material with teal tips. She had a three-quailed fringe with two long ones rolling over her shoulders and ending by her chest area. She had two huge but rather short quills growing behind her ears. She was definitely much different than the other hedgehogs.

"Hey Selene, you're so pale, are you sure you aren't dead?" A Queen Bee called out to her, with the rest of the group laughing.

Selene looked up and blinked. She didn't say a word.

"Did you get your vocal chords clipped or something?" an orange cat snorted.

She shook her head; she tried to say something, but she was so anxious she couldn't speak. Selene walked on and entered the hallways of her school, waiting for someone to corner her and laugh. She walked into her history class and sat in the corner of the room.

"Good morning class," the teacher, who was a female blue fox, said calmly, "Let me take attendance. Roseanne?"

"Here!" a baby blue female rabbit called.

"Cherry?"

"Here!"

The teacher went down the list, one by one. "Selene?"

"Teacher, she isn't here," Roseanna snorted, "anyways, who wants her here?" Her row burst into giggles and nods.

"I'm…here…" Selene called out quietly, hiding her face under her fringe.

"Alright class, open your books to page 10, and we'll start from there."

The history books pretty much repeated last year's lesson, but a bit of a touch up. Selene looked closely at the pictures in the book, very interested. One picture was of a lime green hedgehog, with a caption below:

_Leaf the hedgehog, a teenager who fought the evil Vanity for years, and mysteriously disappeared to another time. She has not been found yet and no one knows if she's alive or not. _

"She must be brave…she could take down anyone…" Selene whispered to herself, "I wish I could too." She flipped through several pages, finding pictures of several other hedgehogs, one she recalled named Sonic, who could run very fast, and even a red creature called an echidna, which breed is now extinct. It was definitely interesting learning about the past, knowing that the heroes saved earth from destruction.

The bell rang; Selene was the last one to leave the room. She walked down the hallway and into the flooded cafeteria. She walked past the tables, finding no more seats (or at least no one wanted her to sit next to them.)

By the time school ended, Selene's mood was miserable. The pale hedgehog walked on the flat road, the sun setting down. She walked through a forest route, sunlight pouring down her back.

She approached a long, tall, steel gate. Behind it lay a long carpet of grass and a mansion. Selene opened the gate slowly, then closed it behind her, making a loud thud behind her.

She walked into her dark room. The silver hedgehog sat down on her carpeted ground and sighed. "I wish someone would understand me…just someone…" She stayed stationary for a really long time. Her eyes followed to a closed window covered in drapes. She climbed on her bed and opened up the windows, letting a refreshing peppermint scent breeze through her room.

The stars were reflecting in the teenage hedgehog's intense indigo eyes. _Imagine a world beyond the stars…a world where everyone is special. Oh, would I want to be there. _A shooting star flickered between Selene's irises. "Make a wish…" she whispered to herself.

And she did.

**Time for some copyright claims. Shadow and other characters belong to SEGA/Sonic Team. Selene is copyrighted to Mistress Selene tH, and the cameo appearance of Leaf the hedgehog is copyrighted to me, Leaf the Earth Guardian.**


	2. Chapter 2: New Boy, New Talent?

**Chapter 2**

Selene was shaking as she walked to school. She was ready for someone to knock her down and beat her up with dialogue. The silver hedgehog looked around nervously and was ready to jump any moment. She looked down in disappointment. _Why can't I be normal? Why can't I be like everyone else?_ She crashed into the back of the orange cat that mocked her the day before.

"Watch yourself," the feline hissed, "_He's _going to notice."

_He? _Selene had a puzzled look on her face. There was a huge group of girls that stopped dead in their tracks; something was obviously not letting them go further. Interested, Selene dodged her way through a few of the girls and found her hands pressed against the base of an oak tree. She grabbed a thick branch and pulled herself up onto it, having a perfect view of the situation. Ahead of the group of girls was a hedgehog she'd never seen before.

The dark hedgehog had funny quills; they were pinned back and slightly curved outward. Selene squinted her eyes and she could see that at the edge of each quill had a red streak. Her eyes then focused on the marvelous crimson eyes of the hedgehog; they seemed to reflect into his soul. Selene had a strange feeling within her, one that she has never had before…

The crowd broke into whispers, and constant girly giggling could be heard. Selene gazed at the hedgehog for a while, until she noticed that his gaze met with hers. In panic, Selene jumped back, falling off the tree branch and on toppled on a pink and blue-furred freshman girl.

"WHAT THE HECK IS YOUR PROBLEM?" she squealed.

That was like a warning call, because, before Selene knew, there were Mobians towering over her, cracking their knuckles in their palms. _Oh no! Where am I going to run? To hide?_ The silver hedgehog stood up and looked around; she was surrounded. She turned around; it was the biggest mistake she could have done. A fist hammered against her left eye, and the hedgehog fell right to the ground, knocked unconscious.

"'Ello?" an adult voice called through Selene's ear. "Are you alright? Can you hear me?"

Selene muttered and opened her right eye. She tried to open her left eye, but it felt very heavy and forced shut. "H-help…"

"You were knocked out. What happened? Witnesses said that you fell out of a tree and got poked in the eye by a branch."

"No…" Selene sat up, "that's not true…" she said softly. "I was beaten up."

"Nonsense. You must've been in shock," the nurse disagreed.

Selene felt like she was going to burst in tears. She felt a cold object placed in her hands. In shock, she dropped it on her leg.

"That's an ice pack, honey; you put it on your swollen eye."

She placed it on her eye; it felt like it was just making the eye num, not even helping whatsoever. _That wish I made last night…did it come true? I mean, not getting punched in the eye, but…getting someone who understands me? What if so…_

Selene walked through the deserted hallways and into class, where everyone was seated. Like yesterday, she was picked on by the baby blue furred-bunny and yet ignored by the teacher. She had a hard time running in Physical Education; she was possibly one of the slowest girls in the school. Selene's best class was definitely her elective: Mind Reading and Physics.

The class was held in a dark room; the only sources of light were from the candles that floated around the classroom. These candles floated because the teacher, Mrs. Kurai, (which meant 'Dark' in Japanese) had put a special charm on every individual stick of wax which allowed the flames to last for an entire semester without going out and allowed freely to fly around the room without igniting objects or students. The room also had a strong scent of cinnamon, which made Selene sneeze every time she walked in.

"Today, we will be studying the art of reading thoughts," Mrs. Kurai breathed in heavily, "get a partner and study page 37. It should cover the experiment we shall perform today."

There must have been an even number, because Selene was the only one without someone to practice reading thoughts. She stood up, very uncomfortable, grabbed the hard-cover book, and walked over to the teacher's desk.

Mrs. Kurai was much different than the other teachers Selene had seen; she had frizzy, violet hair with hints of black, which was held up by a red cloth that served as a headband. Her fur was an indescribable color, as if each wisp of hair was a different shade of purple and black. Her clothing was even stranger; she wore several different colored beads around her neck and a loose, and giant purple earrings that looped through her pointy ears. She wore a pink tinted see-through fabric, wrapped several times around her stomach, arms, and legs so her body wasn't visible. Her eyes were like a deer's caught in a headlight; panicked and ready to run.

"Yes, Selene?" she beamed as she gazed upon the shy hedgehog.

"I didn't get a partner…" Selene's voice drowned with voices from the talking students.

"No partner? Well then, you'll have to work with me then," Mrs. Kurai's eyes looked like they were bulging out of her head as she pulled out a seat for Selene to sit in.

Selene pulled out her book and flipped to page 37, as directed by her teacher. She scanned the page and glared at Mrs. Kurai when she was finished.

"You're finished, I assume?" Mrs. Kurai's fingers tapped the desk. Selene nodded. "I will think of something. Focus deeply, and let your mind go blank. Close your eyes if you have to. Take all the time you need."

Selene's eyes gradually shut. The only thing she focused on was on her teacher. "You're thinking about dinner; to you it's always a mystery what you'll eat."

"…Wow…" Mrs. Kurai blinked, "but I went easy on you. Let me try harder." Her ears pinned back as she bit her lip.

"You're thinking of something called a _butterfly. _Its wings beat fast as it prances through the blue air and lands on a pink flower. It drinks the pollen and skips along to another one, waiting to get another drop of the sweet powdery goodness." Selene thought.

Mrs. Kurai's face went blank. Her hands started to violently shake as her eyes narrowed at Selene. She held up her finger and pointed straight between Selene's eyes in disbelief. "This…this girl…she can…read minds…" Mrs. Kurai's light yellow eyes rolled to the back of her head, and her face slammed onto her desk.

Selene's gloved hand slapped right across her mouth. What had she done? The entire classroom grew into a wave of whispers. No one had a clue what to do.

"We always knew she was a freak!" a female voice broke out.

"Yeah! She knocked out the teacher!"

"She shouldn't even be at this school…"

The bell interrupted the mocks. Everyone ran outside with shouting: the school day was finally over. The classroom emptied and it was only Selene and the unconscious Mrs. Kurai. The white-skinned hedgehog knew that behind the doors, gossip broke out about what happened moments ago.

"Oh dear," Selene sighed, guiltily. "I'm…sorry." She rushed out the door and all the way home, waiting to be yelled at by her parents when they found out what happened in class.


	3. Chapter 3: Fortune Telling

**Chapter Three**

Selene walked through the hallways and into class. A cloud of whispers filled the narrow ways as Selene walked by. She gazed over her shoulder and noticed a related smile shining at her, one that she rarely sees.

"Selene, I heard what happened in your psychic class," a honey-sweet voice caused Selene to turn around.

Selene looked up; there she saw her twin sister, but it was hard to tell their relations. She was taller, skinnier, and unlike Selene, had shiny, wavy hair that rested down her shoulders and back. Her fur was the color of a papaya, and her eyes were the color of the sky. Yes, of course, she had all the fame whilst Selene sat in her shadows. "Aurora," Selene blinked, "but I thought you didn't want to be around me because I'm not…'cool' enough."

Aurora let out a dry laugh. "What are you talking about?" she flung her arm around her sister's shoulder, "You're my sister, who wouldn't want to be around _you_?"

_Everyone…_ Selene's face turned into a frown as she escaped the orange hedgehog's grip.

"I need to tell you a secret, but you can't tell anyone," Aurora's gloved index finger flew over her colored lips, "You know Tory?"

"Brown furred fox with golden highlights?" Selene guessed the most popular girl in the school.

"Yes," Aurora giggled, "she's going to ask _Shadow_ out to the dance. Got to go, see you later." She disappeared into the crowd of her friends as they strolled through the hallways, giggling and gossiping.

_Dance? Shadow? What?_

Lunch was always a disaster; freshman tripping over each other just to get in line for the cooked food, which Selene never liked; frozen cheese sandwiches heated up, cold, dangly spaghetti, scented fish nuggets with a touch of salt, ew! Selene preferred her lunch that came from her brown paper bag, sitting at the table in the corner of the cafeteria, all by herself.

Selene's hand reached into her bag and grabbed an orange soda pop along with a candy bar (Selene snuck into the pantry late at night) and lay them on the white table in front of her.

She felt the table rattle for a bit. She looked at the epicenter; the red and black hedgehog she saw the day before sat there, all by himself. He apparently had no lunch or anything, but Selene was too shy to offer a square off her chocolate bar or a sip of her soda. The silver hedgehog studied the dark hedgehog for a bit, until his red eyes met with hers again; that same odd look that she had seen when she first encountered him. Her eyes quickly moved off of the hedgehog and directly at her lunch.

"Hey Shadow," a female voice called. Selene's eyes peeked over the brown paper bag and noticed a familiar brown fox. _Oh no._ Tory stroked her hair with her fingers as she readjusted her shirt and took a deep breath.

Shadow, the dark hedgehog, gazed at her and didn't say a word.

"I noticed you're new here," the freshman curled her hair in her fingers, "well, so am I. I would simply love to hang out sometime after school, or maybe…go to the movies?" Tory's cheeks turned cherry red.

Shadow turned back to his backpack and ignored her question.

Tory narrowed her eyes, revealing dark purple eye shadows and gazed at Selene. She walked over, swinging her hips dramatically. "Stay away from him. It's the survival of the strongest. And you're not strong enough to live in my territory." She turned around, her iron-curled hair quickly whipping, and walked back to her friends.

Later on, her 'Mind reading and Physics' class started. Mrs. Kurai seemed very buggy about being around Selene, especially about what happened the previous day. "Today, we will be learning about fortune-telling," she eyed Selene, "this will be a dependent experiment. Please follow. Each of you will receive a glass of special water from Mystery Springs. Go to page 79 in your book please."

Selene flipped right to it. In bold words on the top of the sheet it said, "Mystery Springs." Selene read on:

_Mystery Springs is an ominous area beyond Orange Forest Zone.__ Mystery Springs has a violet river that washes among white grass; the river splits up into four different pools. The violet water contains a chemical that allows liquids to create awkward forms and movement._

"I have samples of the water from Mystery Spring zone." Mrs. Kurai waved her hand, causing plastic beakers that were neatly aligned in the shelf next to her desk to float over to her. She then walked to a box that read 'FRAGILE' on it. She grabbed a water-bottle sized container and tapped it. "This is the water from the springs. Please do not inhale it." She screwed off the cork on top and swooshed the liquid back and forth in the bottle, looked up at her curious students and poured the purple water into the cups. Mrs. Kurai then screwed the lid back on and waved her hand again, this time causing the cups holding the liquid to float over to the desks.

Selene gazed at the water; it was as if different shades of purple were constantly swirling around. How could this possibly do with fortune-telling?

"I will hand every one of you a needle. Be _extremely_ careful with it. You will take off your gloves and slice a bit of the surface off the palm of your hand to allow a blood sample for this experiment."

_Blood?_ Selene's eyes widened as she fearfully held onto the needle.

"Take the needle and carefully slice diagonally into your skin. Allow one drop of blood to land into your liquid. It will display a picture of something in your future."

Selene sliced, her red blood dripping from her hand and into the beaker. She grabbed a paper towel and held it against her cut. She then gazed into the beaker. Her blood was creating an image like Mrs. Kurai explained; it was constantly shooting up to the rim and exploding. _It looks like an explosion. _

The silver hedgehog trotted home, looking at her shoes again, thoughts twirling through her mind. The sun was barely touching the trees overhead, and the sound of birds chirping was the only thing that could be heard. Suddenly, Selene felt her body fall on top of something warm and fluffy. She opened her eyes and realized who it was: Shadow the hedgehog. "I…I…I'm…sorry…" Selene scrambled to the side in panic. Papers were scattered across the forest floor.

"It's…fine…" Shadow replied, groaning. He scooped up the sheets with his gloved hands and sighed.

"Let…let me help," Selene kneeled beside him and handed him the last of his papers. "Sorry, I should've looked where I was going…"

"I should've gotten out of the way instead of expecting you to move," the black hedgehog gazed up.

Selene looked deeply into his ruby eyes…they were serious with a tint of softness that he seemed to hide. Selene smiled at him for a while, until she gave up on their one-on-one staring contest. "I'm Selene."

"I'm Shadow," he grinned back, "I am new here, but I really don't want help."

"I saw," Selene giggled, "Tory, huh? She's the most popular girl in the school."

"But popular doesn't always mean right."

"True that…"

"Well, I'll see you later then, Selene," Shadow waved as he ran by her.

Selene grinned back and walked home happily, a feeling she hasn't had in a while.


	4. Chapter 4: Bittersweet

**Chapter 4**

It was finally Saturday. Selene had much studying to do, especially with her upcoming math test; something Selene would stress about. Getting good grades meant becoming more successful later in life, and that would be something worth looking forward to. The hedgehog woke up early and grabbed her studying notes. She slipped them in a denim messenger bag and set it down beside her door. The pale hedgehog slipped on jeans and a shirt and covered it up with a bubble coat and a wool scarf. She walked through the back door and stepped onto a large area of lawn. Selene quickly sprinted over the wet grass, soaking her socks. She didn't mind, since she would rather get her feet cold then get punished by her parents for sneaking out in the morning.

All of Selene's exposed fur was num, and her breath came out in little white puffs. The forest around her villa was layered in frost, and the forest floor was tougher than usual, making loud thudding noises every time her boots hit the ground. She walked for about half an hour before the area around her burst into shades of soft pink. She looked around amazed; cherry trees were blossoming pink petals and were swirling across Selene's indigo eyes. She sat down and rested her homework on her knees

"Selene?" a voice from behind called.

Surprised, Selene jumped and fell. She gazed up and noticed a shocked face, which made Selene squeeze her eyes as if she was dreaming. It was Shadow. "What are you doing here?"

"Well…" Shadow looked down, "I like this place. It's the only place where I can be myself."

"I found this place by myself. I need to get away from my family every once in a while," Selene sighed, "I really don't know a lot about the city or anything…"

"Would you like me to show you?"

Selene's eyes widened. _What if mom and dad catch me? They'll KILL me. But it's time for me to leave the cradle and grow up. One step at a time._ The silver hedgehog's eyes beamed back at the dark one's. "I'd love to."

"Great," Shadow smiled, "I finally have a friend."

_Sometimes, you have to get out of your safety zone and try things you've never done before. _Selene slipped her messenger bag over her shoulder and waited for Shadow. He reached his hand out, and Selene uneasily held his hand.

"Hold on tight," a devious grin spread on Shadow's face.

Suddenly, a burst of speed pressed against Selene. Adrenaline was pumping through her body. She had never had this feeling before…it was like being on a rollercoaster, but having full control of it. She knew that if she would let go or yell 'stop', Shadow would stop immediately. That's how much trust she had in him.

They were now on a tall grassy hill, which overlooked the city. The horizon was silver and the tall buildings were lit with lamps. It was around seven in the morning, and the city could not run without workers. The skyscrapers were so high that it was hard to even see the streets; Selene looked even harder and noticed a canal at the edge of the city. "I think you need to explain me this."

"You see this? This is the city. Over the years, the technology has become so advanced that people have forgotten the outside world. We have forgotten about almost everything. There are so many places out there in the world, yet they seem like just a speck of dust in the wind to us."

"You sound like my dad when you say that," Selene giggled.

Shadow lay in the long grass. Selene lay down next to him. Shadow had a deep sigh and closed his eyes. Selene looked at the sky harder. It was strange…until now she has never paid attention to the details in life. She quickly scrambled up and looked over to her friend, who was resting. She steadied and leaned back a bit…just a little bit more….

POUNCE!

Selene tackled Shadow, and they both playfully rolled down the hill. Both of them were laughing.

"I haven't done that since I was four!" Selene smiled.

"Hm, you're making me feel like I'm four," Shadow chuckled and rolled in the grass.

A loud noise made Selene jump again. "Great…I'm starving…" Selene rolled her eyes. "Now I'm going to have to go back home."

"Who says?" Shadow grinned, "I've got some money on me."

"You don't have to-"

"Why not? You're saying I'm not your friend?" Shadow frowned.

"Fine." Selene sighed.

"Great, I know this great breakfast place, I'm sure you'll love it," Shadow said, rubbing his hands on his quills. He led Selene to a small corner where a diner was.

The floor was really hard, and it made every step a very loud thud. The floor had a black and white tile pattern and the walls and ceiling were creamy. The red velvet seats were put in all corners of the place, making it seem like there was barely any room to walk. Selene sat down across from Shadow, who pushed a menu in her face.

"What would you like, darling?" a waitress with a southern accent came to the table.

"Give me a second…" Selene answered, scanning through the menu as fast as she could.

"Oh, I see what's going on here. Both of y'all be coming here for a date," the waitress laughed

"No!" Selene exclaimed, her cheeks burning red. _I don't even like Shadow…in that way. _

"Oh, I guarantee it," the server winked, "or maybe you'll just stay friends."

"I'll take some orange juice and pancakes," Selene ordered in a paranoid tone. _I would never even think of Shadow in that way!_

"One orange juice and order of pancakes, coming right up," the server said, and left.

"That was…embarrassing…" Selene rested her head in her hands and gazed at the ceiling.

"I thought it was quite funny." A grin twisted on Shadow's face, waiting for a response.

"Oh, shut up," Selene kicked Shadow's shin, laughing. A plate was put in front of her, supporting a large pile of pancakes toppled with syrup and a hunk of butter. _I don't think I'll finish this… _"I don't know how to thank you…" Selene blushed.

"No thank you needed," Shadow pulled out a bunch of wrinkled dollar bills and handed it to the waiter, who put it in her pocket and walked off.

"Oh man, I'm stuffed…" Selene said, taking a large slurp from her orange juice, "mind finishing it off?"

"Not a problem at all."

There was so much in the city Selene never knew of; many work facilities, high-tech stores, and even a theme park! It was truly amazing. The sun was now overhead, the sky crystal clear and blue.

"I've never…really seen anyone like you," Shadow blinked, observing Selene's face. "Your eyes…they are a spark of resemblance to your sister's…except, yours are prettier."

"Shadow…" Selene sighed, "You're so sweet…but, I don't know how you even know me so well."

"Our personalities match. You are predictable."

_"Our personalities match." But how? He's a cool kid; I'm just a girl that no one wants to look at, just a puppy that everyone kicks around. Predictable, how am I? _Selene tilted her head sideways, frowning. "Shadow, it was nice being out here with you…but I really need to get home. My parents are going to kill me no matter what, even though they know I'm not a morning hedgehog, sooner or later they'll see that I'm not around," Selene's tone was very serious.

"What will they do?"

"Call the police…that's the least they'll do," Selene's eyes flooded with tears. Her body grew weak and her knees hit the ground.

Shadow gazed at her, speechless, and walked over by her side. He rested an arm on her shoulder. "I'm here to protect you, Selene…" His fingers slipped down her neck and touched her crescent necklace. He lightly tugged on it and the crescent charm slipped down the string and into his palm. He gazed down at her and weak smile spread across his face. "Just call me if you're not feeling well, okay?"

Selene nodded. She stood up, and gazed at Shadow's face. For a while they were gazing in each other's eyes, like they were in another world. Shadow's eyes widened, but it was too late. Suddenly, from behind Selene, a bunch of arms grabbed her and pushed her to a brick wall, while others pushed Shadow down to the ground.

"Help me!" Selene squealed, kicking frantically. Shadow tried to struggle, but the strength of the police's grip was stronger than Shadow's.

"Are you okay ma'am?" one of them asked.

"Let go of me!" Selene screamed, "Don't hurt him!"

She fell to the ground, dark tears flowing from her eyes. She was in shock; everything happened so fast, too fast for her. She couldn't take it any longer. Her body crashed into the cement ground. In a faint distance she could hear Shadow escaping the grip and coming to her side…

Selene woke up in her bed. Moonlight was pouring on her covers; the window was wide open, the curtains flowing through the air. Selene weakly stood up, right when the door opened and her sister hugged her tightly.

"Selene! I was so worried! And Shadow…he was there too…and oh, if you were only awake, it was so romantic, fighting for you like that."Aurora gazed off.

"I'm fine, thanks," Selene the room, and for a few minutes there were only silence.

Selene gazed down at her crescent necklace; it was giving an odd glow. It had never done that before…then her past echoed in her mind… _"Just call me if you're not feeling well, okay?" _It was such a bittersweet memory. A tear flowed down Selene's cheek as she huddled the necklace to her chest. "Shadow…" she whispered silently.

"I'm here."

She looked up in surprise. The hedgehog was sitting in her window frame. How did he manage to scale the large fence? And get past the security guards? White moonlight was pouring down on his quills, his crimson eyes giving a small hint of red. She ran up to him and hugged him tightly, same as he did. He rubbed her silky hair and smiled.

"I'll see you at school on Monday…"

"Bye…"


	5. Chapter 5: Beaten

**Chapter 5**

The sun poured down on the land; a few hazy clouds set over and the sun shown brightly with all of its beauty. Leaves spun gently and scattered across the ground, flowers blossomed from small sprouts. Plants were dripping dew, and the atmosphere was fresh and clean: It was the start of a new day.

It was two days ago since Shadow and Selene had a trip through the city. Selene's confidence level was raised, and she walked happily to school with a smile on her face. Pride was inside her, a feeling Selene was experiencing for the first time. She walked to school, went to her history class, and sat down.

"I'm going to give you a mini quiz to see if you reviewed your notes over the weekend. Let's begin. Alright, who used to guard the Master Emerald?"

Selene's hand shot up in the air. Jaws dropped as a crowd of faces turned to the eager silver hedgehog.

"Yes-urm-Selene?" the blue fox mumbled, astonished.

"Knuckles the echidna," Selene answered a hint of doubt in her tone.

"Correct!" the teacher exclaimed, "Selene how about…um…who was the last seedrian?"

"Cosmo," Selene breathed, without a problem.

"Correct again, Miss Selene," the teacher smiled.

The rest of the day was pretty good; Selene's speed had increased ever since trying to keep up with Shadow. Her math test went well, excelling through it without a problem. She was (almost) perfect.

The bell rang and Selene walked home. On the way there, she passed a long, large stretch of brick wall with moss and ivy overgrowing it. The wall had a cold and misty feeling to it…Selene wondered what was behind the wall, what secret it was keeping from everyone in the world.

"Hey, there she is!" A female voice shouted.

Selene stopped dead in her tracks, her throat swelling, ears pinned back. She spun around to find a group of four Mobians pounding their fists together, grinding their teeth. There was the easily-recognized Tory, the popular girl. Behind her, three towering male furries wearing torn shirts covered by leather jackets and jeans had mischievous grins on their faces. Selene's eyes grew larger as she backed up against the wall. "Please…don't…hurt me…" she whimpered.

"Aw, do you hear that? She's scared," one of the tall Mobians laughed.

"What are you going to do? Run and hide, using your _extreme __speed_," the one on the far right burst out laughing.

"Calm down," Tory rolled her eyes, "we're only here to make a friendly offer," the brown fox swished her tail cockily in front of her thin legs. "So, I've heard you've been hanging out with my future date," Tory narrowed her eyes and got closer to Selene, who was now in a crouching position. "Well, I'm going to be the good guy here and give you an offer, an offer you _shouldn__'__t_ deny. If you stay away from Shadow, my brothers here won't beat the crap out of you. What do you say?"

_What __do __I __say? __Look __at __them! __They__'__re __mean and __fierce. __They __could _kill _me __if __they __wanted __to. __But __I __don__'__t __want __to __leave __my __friend. __My __only __friend, __too._Selene gulped and blinked at Tory. "No. I'm staying friends with Shadow…"

"Fine, be that way. Be a little stubborn bitch, but you'll regret it." Tory turned around and slowly walked past her brothers. Selene could hear the faintest evil voice from the petite brown fox: "Hurt her. If you can, break her bones."

Selene screamed and started to run, but the foxes were too fast and strong for her. Before she could protect herself, large hands grabbed her arms and pinned her to the wall. A steel-hard fist continuously pounded against her chest, making her cough out blood. Eventually, the three furries stopped. Selene dropped down to the ground. Red stained her white shirt as she lay on the forest ground lifeless.

"S-Sh-Sha-Shadow…" she whispered.

"Did you hear somethin'?" one of them said, raising their eyebrow.

"Probably just me," a dark voice replied.

The foxes' ears pricked up and looked around. They spun around in circles, trying to look for what was haunting them.

"Cold…colder…colder…freezing…am I going to just have to wait here all day?" the voice laughed.

"Show yourself!" the three of them barked.

"Gladly."

A recognizable dark hedgehog jumped from out of one of the trees and slipped between the three foxes, which did not see the attack coming. Shadow gazed back at Selene, who was barely able to open her eyes. Then, he ran towards one of them and slipped, tripping the fox and making it face-plant into the ground.

"Anyone else?" Shadow grinned, looking around. The foxes scrambled away, running for their dear lives.

"Shadow…" Selene cried, struggling to get up.

"Selene," Shadow hover-skated over, kneeling down beside his silver friend. He grabbed a hold of her hand and sighed. "Please tell me you're okay…"

Selene's tear-flooded eyes opened, making her eyes sparkle. Blood was dripping from her muzzle and her right eye was a black, and her chest was heaving up and down heavily. Shadow's gloved fingers touched her eye. She jumped again, but then she uneasily relaxed.

"You're beaten up…" Shadow gritted his teeth, "Sorry I wasn't in time."

"It was a great show though," Selene weakly smiled in return.

Shadow picked up Selene, and then gazed up at her indigo eyes. He smiled and whispered, "Hold on." Adrenaline rushed through Selene as she suddenly went into a burst of speed. She came to a sudden stop in front of her house. Shadow opened the steel gates, entering slowly and unsurely. Selene knew that she would protect him if her parents tried to hurt him.

"Selene! What happened this time?" Aurora ran out, crying.

"I'm okay, Aurora…" Selene gazed up at her sister's worried face, "Shadow saved me…"

"Oh, Shadow, thank you!" Aurora hugged Shadow tightly, whilst Selene was being squeezed in the middle. She moved her bangs away from her face and blinked at Selene and Shadow. "My, my…you two…you should go out to the dance together."

Selene froze, embarrassed. "Why?"

"Don't you see? Shadow protects you! You two are so good together! Oh, please, otherwise Tory will get her friends to bully Selene. You guys are good friend, right?" Aurora giggled.

Shadow put down Selene and gazed at her. His face went from a frown to a sweet smile; he reached out to the silver hedgehog's hand. "It's your choice, whatever's fine with me."

Selene gazed back at her sister, who had her arms crossed and was nodding. She then turned back to Shadow, who was waiting for a response. "Yes."

Somehow, Shadow's tough appearance seemed to switch right when she said this. She had witnessed a Shadow she had never seen before; his eyes grew warmer, and his aura grew excited and bouncy, yet he was somehow able to maintain composure. Selene gazed at him for a while, and uncontrollably hugged him really tight, making him fall to the ground with her. Probably hedgehog instincts…

"Aw…" Aurora watched, mewing, "You two are so, so cute!"

"Sorry, I swear it wasn't me," Selene whispered, trying to struggle free.

"I don't mind it," Shadow laughed.

"Oh my gosh, I have to tell all my friends! Shadow's token!" Aurora quickly grabbed out her phone and started beating the tiny keys on her phone.

"Wait, Aurora, don't-"

"Too late," Aurora shrugged, showing on her little screen a pop-up that said 'Message sent.'

_Oh __no. __This __is __going __to __spread __around __like __a __virus. __I__'__m __going __to __be __beaten __up __by __Tory._

"I'm sorry Selene," Aurora whimpered, "I just couldn't hold back."

"It's fine," Shadow spoke up, "I'll be around Selene to make sure no one will hurt her."

"Aw, hedgehog love," Aurora smiled, "I'll make sure that my friends won't hurt you, okay?"

Selene nodded, cuffing her hand over her bruise. "I got to get some ice on this thing."

"Not a problem, follow me, Selene!" Aurora marched immaturely into the house, with Selene obediently following.

_Wait! __I __forgot __to __say __bye __to __Shadow! _Selene turned around, only to see an empty courtyard. _No__…__he __left__… _Selene's face warped into a frown. _Maybe __he__'__ll __reconsider. __I__'__m __so __rude__…__oh __well,__I__'__ll __just __have __to __wait __and __see._


	6. Chapter 6: A Stronger Aura

**Chapter 6**

_BEEP!__BEEP!__BEEP!_ The black alarm clock flashed 4:30 a.m. Immediately Selene jumped up in surprise from her deep sleep and rubbed her eyes. _Oh __great, __I __thought __I __set __it __at _6:30. _Dang, __now __I __won__'__t __be __able __to __get __back __to __sleep._The half-awake hedgehog slowly walked over and powerfully slammed her fists against the clock. _Must. __Go. __Back. __To. __Sleep._Selene slipped under her thick, warm covers and lay on her back, staring at the ceiling. _Great, __now __I__'__m __wide __awake._

Giving up, Selene slipped out from under her warm sheets opened up her window, sending a sudden rush of air in. It made the pale hedgehog shake for a bit, but a blaze of fire lit up in her soul when she gazed outside. _The __morning __is __so __pretty __and __yet __it __seems __to __be __a __thing __that __no __one __cares __about. __Something __we __sleep __through._The sky lit with many stars and a small tint of light blue met at the horizon. The rest of the land was black. The wind was very light, only slightly making Selene's silky quills wave. In the corner of Selene's eye, she could see a faint sparkle. _Huh?_ Her head rapidly turned towards her night stand, which had a strong aurora. The aurora drew her closer to it, and eventually she picked it up.

It was her crescent necklace that she had received as a gift from her grandmother for her birthday. Selene walked back to the open window and sat on the frame, her eyebrows raised. She drew her hand higher, one eye closed, the other focused closely on the necklace. As her hand rose higher, her heart began beating faster. Eventually, her chest was bumping so loudly she swore that someone would have heard. She matched up her necklace to the moon, both seeming identical. The necklace started to flash on and off at the rate of Selene's heartbeat. _What __is __this?_

The moon started to shine brighter than normal. Something that Selene was doing was causing both the moon and the necklace to react awkward. Suddenly, the necklace shined so brightly that the room filled with a strong light, so strong it made the bedroom seem white. _Aaaah!_

Tears started to flow from Selene's eyes without her even trying. Her hands began to tremble and she squeezed her eyes closed. Sweat began to roll down Selene's face as her veins began to pump harder. A bit later, a lighter flash, possibly blinding one's eyes, traveled through the room. It finished off the event. The room was back to its dark self, as if nothing had happened. Selene lay on the floor, panting hard.

"What…what was that?" she gasped, wiping off the sweat from her forehead. Selene sat upright, feeling oddly dizzy. At first she saw all the contents of her room double, and then her vision went back to normal. The silver hedgehog placed out her hands, squeezing them both at the same time, then gazed at her skinny body. "Odd, I seem normal…but I feel…nauseous…" Selene tumbled back into bed and closed her eyes.

"Selene, wake up. You're going to be late for school!" Aurora's voice flooded Selene's hearing.

Selene turned over, pulling her pillow over her head.

"Come on, stubborn one!" Aurora strongly tugged on Selene's blankets, causing the silver hedgehog to tumble out and lie on the bare floor. "Rise and shine!"

"Ugh…" Selene yawned. She stood up and rubbed open her eyes, gazing at her yellow hedgehog sister sleepily. Something seemed different. Odd. Was it her hair? No. Anything at all to do with her looks? I don't think so. When Selene gazed into Aurora's pupils, she saw something far more than just the dreamy sky blue colored eyes; it seemed like she could look right into her soul. For a second she could hear Aurora's thoughts as if she was being spoken to by Aurora herself, but no. It was all Selene.

"Are you okay?" the tall hedgehog asked, tilting her head sideways. "You look as white as snow…maybe you should skip school today…" Aurora trailed off.

"No, I think I'll be fine," Selene said dizzily, her conscience trying to get back at her. The silver hedgehog stepped forward, but it felt as if her legs were made of noodles. She swung around oddly and fell right into Aurora.

"You're not going-"

"Yes I am!" Selene yelled, "I know I can!"

"You're becoming oddly naïve…" Aurora chuckled, "oh well, suit yourself. I certainly wish you good luck today with Shadow."

_Oh __no! __What __will __he __think? _Selene's eyes swelled with fear. She gulped anxiously and pulled on the collar of her pajama top.

"Selene, are you okay?" Shadow sat down next to Selene, who had her face buried in her long sleeves in the cafeteria.

"I'm…not feeling well," Selene muttered, avoiding eye contact with her friend. Her stomach growled for a crumb of food, yet she refused to get near anything that would satisfy her hunger. She could see Tory eyeing her viscously; but Selene saw a little past an envious fox…it was as if, a small hint of sadness, hid in her rage. For once, Selene saw a different Tory; not the one she had always remembered, but…perhaps smarter? Something was definitely different.

"You should probably eat," Shadow suggested, "that usually helps."

Selene turned to her backpack and zipped it open, grabbing a yellow apple with ruby smears on it. She took a small bite out of it and glanced at Shadow. His crimson eyes shone right back at her, and Selene gazed deep. _Odd, __there__'__s __something __a __lot __different__…__something __I __haven__'__t __seen __in __either __Aurora __or __Tory__'__s __aura__…__it__'__s__…__unexplainable.__I __sense __something __diverse__…__one-of-a __kind __if __I __were __to __say __it._

"Selene? Are you asleep?"

"Sorry…daydreaming again."

"Typical girls, they won't stop checking me out," Shadow winked and brushed his quills back.

"WHAT?" Selene blushed madly, her eyes bulging. _He__'__s __being __a __bit __cocky, __isn__'__t __he? _She narrowed her eyes and smiled, lightly punching him in the arm. "Shut up. You're my friend. Without a _boy_in front of it."

"Anyways," Shadow laughed lightly, "meet you after school?"

"Sure thing," Selene smiled.

The schoolyard was deserted. The sun set over the large hills that set a great distance; the only sign of movement were the leaves that rustled across the ground and one hedgehog running to another.

"So, why'd you want to meet me after school?" Selene questioned.

"We can talk," Shadow shrugged, "just talk."

The two hedgehogs walked past several blocks, speechless.

"So, what I wanted to talk about is actually a bit personal," Shadow sighed.

"Continue."

"Well…when you stared at me during lunch…I had a quirky spark in my stomach. It was certainly odd," Shadow flushed with embarrassment, "and I want to confess my feelings."

Selene's heart skipped a beat. "Go on."

"From the beginning on," Shadow looked away, "there's been something about you that's pulling me closer. Like a magnet."

Selene blushed lightly, "that's pretty cute…"

"And, when you gazed at me, I saw a twinkle in your eye. Something must be telling me something," Shadow started to walk faster, which transitioned to a run.

"Shadow, wait!" Selene ran after him clumsily, and went to a sprint. She chased him for a while into a forest, where she finally gave up. The female hedgehog caught her breath in place, and then looked straight ahead to find Shadow in her path.

"I'm sorry Selene," Shadow's eyes lowered, "I am not the best at showing my emotions, and it's just that I…"

Selene padded over to his side and tried to look him in the eyes, but he kept looking away. "It's okay, Shadow, I promise I won't tell anyone."

"Well," Shadow breathed heavily, "this is really hard to explain, especially because I'm worried you're going to leave me."

_Leave __him? __Why __would __I? __He__'__s __such __a __good __person! _Selene shook her head and held his hand, "I _promise _I won't."

"I like you," Shadow whispered in her ear, and shut his eyes, preparing for the worst.

_I__…__I __don__'__t __know __what __to __say. __Should __I __freak __out? __Should __I __hug __him?_ "Shadow, that was a very honest and truthful thing to say," Selene's white cheeks turned pink, "I think you're really cute." _Awkward __moment __of __silence__…_ She walked over and hugged him tightly, Shadow returning the embrace.

"I'm surprised, I've never ever met someone that can tame emotions like you," the dark hedgehog pulled up the silver one up high so that her feet left the ground, "you're special like that."

Selene blinked and let go. "Shadow, I feel the same. I can't wait until the dance. Three days."

"Three days," Shadow smiled, "but you better be heading home soon, your parents will worry."

"Right," Selene tightened her backpack and trotted off, taking one last glance at Shadow. She waved back at him and headed home. _I __can__'__t __believe __it! __I __can__'__t!_Selene ran home, full of joy. She ran up to her room and jumped on her bed. "I'm in _love._"


	7. Chapter 7: Love

**Chapter 7**

She must have been the most striking being. The albino hedgehog wearing a long, silky dress tied with many turquoise ribbons weaved past the cherry blossom trees and elegant fountains. Her garden was in immense shape, bursting with floral scents. Her heels tapped on the marble path fancied by her royalty. Her indigo-diamond eyes shone greatly and her long, wavy silver hair following along. Her garden was made of majestic white fountains and alongside her white marble trail were magnificent cherry blossom trees that at this time shed its pink petals which floated through the air aimlessly.

Everyone wanted to live their life as the princess: a life that was served right on a plate and easy to digest. The princess, however, wanted vice versa. She never loved being in all the fame, for she had to live under strict rules of her parents, the king and queen. She was also just a shadow of her sister, who was the most famed and known.

Aurora was her sister's name, and from looking at the both of the princesses, you would not be able to see a relation, although they were twins. Aurora had far more beauty than her sister; her sun-golden fur and those sky-blue eyes were her best features, something that would put aside her little sister.

Selene was her little sister's name, who was also the hedgehog prancing through her striking garden. She was set to be married to a new king; but there was a problem. She had never met the new king, and she had no interest in him. For her love was set to a peasant boy who lived on the outskirts of the kingdom. Late at night, at the call of his name, he would scurry over to the outer perimeter of the castle, where he would meet his princess. It was truly a forbidden love, for if the princess's true love was ever caught, he would be banished from the kingdom and never seen again.

* * *

><p><em>What <em>_a __dream._ _Reminds __me __of __a __good __childhood __memory. __Maybe __even __a __drop __or __so __of __my __own __life._

"Selene! Pay attention!" a loud bang flooded the room, directed at Selene.

"S-sorry," Selene said in a low tone, trying to hide her face.

"She's probably daydreaming about something that will never happen, teacher," Roseanne, the blue rabbit rolled her eyes and laughed. The whole room burst in laughter, except for Selene. The magnificent indigo eyes gazed at Roseanne, who snarled at her upon seeing this. "What are you looking at?" she hissed.

"Looking at how much attention you want, the power you apparently achieve when you hurt someone." These words silenced the entire class, bringing them into shock. Roseanne narrowed her eyes and whipped around, trying to ignore the comeback.

The bell rang for brunch, and Selene met up with Shadow.

"Can we meet after-"

"I can't, Selene, I'm sorry."

Odd.

* * *

><p>"Tomorrow we'll go to the mall!" Aurora demanded as she walked Selene's bedroom, "we need to get something nice for the dance." Selene gazed up from her homework: a large pile of papers stacked upon books. "What do you think?"<p>

"I…I guess," Selene responded gazing back down at her assignment. _Tomorrow __is __Thursday, __and __I __can__'__t __forget __the __dance __is __on __Friday._

Aurora patted Selene on the shoulder with a worried face. "Anything wrong? You look even worse than yesterday." Selene shook her head and moved away from her sister's grip, her hands aiming for her pencil on the desk. She heard a distressed tone in Aurora's sigh. "Has your anxiety gone up?"

"I'm just extremely nervous, I can't describe it," Selene gazed up, "Tory said she'll beat me up if I dance with Shadow…"

"Oh no!" Aurora slapped her hand over her mouth, "I'm pretty sure Shadow will protect you. He's a very loyal person once you get to know him better. Even if it means hitting a girl."

"But won't he get in trouble for that?"

"It's self-defense, Selene. It would be rubbish if you did. Come on, if Tory is giving you violent threats in high school then I really would _not_ want to see her later in life." Aurora walked to the door and looked back at Selene, "Tell me if you need any more help. I'm pretty sure Shadow won't turn you down."

* * *

><p>After having a satisfying meal of spaghetti and a chocolate shake, Selene made her way up the stairs into her room. She shut it right behind her and made sure no one was in the area. She sat on her bed whispered, "Shadow." Within a few minutes her dark hedgehog friend was there, sitting in her window frame. "Hi."<p>

"Hi."

There was an awkward silence for a bit whilst Selene was brainstorming ideas for a topic to discuss. She first thought of bringing up the discussion of what had happened during brunch, but it probably wasn't a good idea to snoop into other people's business. "Don't forget that the dance is on Friday," Selene reminded.

"Oh…yeah…" Shadow sighed. Selene could sense his aura growing weak.

"Anything wrong?"

"No, not at all."

"Oh, okay." Selene pinched her eyes closed. _Why __is __it __so __hard __to __talk __to __him __now?_

"Are you okay, too? You don't look too good."

"You're the second person to have said that to me today," the silver hedgehog commented, "I don't feel any different…do I look any different?"

"I don't know…you seem very...pale."

"I'm already very pale naturally, I avoid the sunlight," Selene puffed her cheek, "it's like I'm allergic to light. Well, you…you look like you're in the sun everyday."

"Oh…I know…" Shadow scratched the back of his head nervously, not knowing what to add on. The moonlight hit the dark hedgehog, which made the outer parts of his body completely white. "Wow, you always have the moon shining at you?"

"I guess," Selene muttered, wrapping her arms around her knees. "Sometimes, I wonder if the moon needs something. It shines on my window every single night, even when the clouds are covering most of it up."

"Maybe you have something to do with moons," Shadow's face brightened.

"Maybe…" Selene sighed. "Maybe I'm just that outcast that everyone else sees."

"That's what makes you different, Selene," Shadow rested his foot on the frame and gazed up at the starry night sky. "Almost judges a book by its cover. That's what makes you different. You read the book before judging it."

Selene's heart started pounding rapidly when she heard those words. Her cheeks turned into a soft, rosy pink. "Thanks."

"Well, anyways, it's getting awfully late. I should be getting home," Shadow shrugged. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Sure."

Shadow smiled and stayed in place for a moment. He was thinking for a moment, then trotted to her bed and sat down. The dark hedgehog stared straight into the magnificent indigo eyes. He held her hand and moved to her side. "Good night, Selene," he whispered. A moment later Selene felt a warm spot on her cheek. He had _kissed_ her. Shadow climbed down from her window ceil and ran off into the night.

Selene's hand touched the warm part of her cheek that Shadow had kissed. Many emotions whirled through her, so many it felt as if she had butterflies in her stomach. _Shadow__…__I __love __you._

_"__I __love __you __too,__" _Selene heard Shadow's voice wisp back.

* * *

><p>The princess scurried over to her beloved and spotted him by the fence. She had talked to him for a while and realized that she would get married in a few days, and it would be the last time she would ever see him.<p>

"I am so sorry that I have to get married. I would do anything to stop it from happening."

"It's okay, but I have a question. Am I the only boy you've ever had contact with?" he asked.

"Yes. Why?" Her indigo eyes fused with the boy's red eyes, as she blinked. He pulled her closer and into a kiss, before letting her go.

"A lot of people say it's a true love's first kiss. To be honest, I do not think that it's true. As long as you believe in it, it will certainly happen. I'll miss you, princess."


	8. Chapter 8: The Dress

**Chapter 8**

Puffy clouds slowly moved through the blue sky; wind swirled past long, soft wisps of grass. Leaves rustled beside each other, anchored onto dark branches of trees, which were spread far apart through rolling hills. There was a small trail that few used to get through the hills; on the foot of the hills lay the giant city, full of floating cars and high-tech instruments.

On the top of one of the hills was a tree. Under it was Selene, who had one palm on the bark and the other resting on her hip. Her hair twirled along with the wind; the skirt she was wearing slightly stirred around. Her dark boots pulled up to her shins, and the metallic hedgehog's white gloves snuggled comfortably on her hands. Downhill behind her was a panting yellow hedgehog, her eyes lowering as she weakly charged uphill.

"Selene, I have been looking for you all over the city!" Aurora wheezed as she rested her hands on her knees. "It would've token all day if it wasn't for the tracking device mom set on your phone." The yellow hedgehog tumbled down in the grass, swallowed by the brushes. "Ugh…"

The silver hedgehog's ear turned back a bit. _Oh __right, __I __was __supposed __to __go __to __the __mall __today __with __Aura! __I __forgot__… _She turned to her exhausted sister, who was buried deep within the grass, muttering under her breath what the consequences could have been if she hadn't found Selene sooner. "Sorry about that," Selene shrugged. "I guess I've been a bit busy."

"It's fine," Aurora's face brightened as she got up, wiping the bits of plant off her skirt. The yellow hedgehog hugged her sister, and then pointed down at the city below. "Come on, let's go!"

Shopping was more like a chore than a fun activity for Selene; the shy hedgehog could not stand the large crowds of screaming girls, frantically pulling off all the shirts that they could reach, trying them on. And if they didn't fit, the wrinkled outfits would find themselves on the floor, constantly being piled one on top of another and stomped on.

It occurred to Selene that she was following Aurora into a less popular part of the mall; mainly where adult Mobians would shop for their needs. The silver one noted how clean the stores were; absolutely no clothing on the floor. Plus the less populated shops seemed to have a little charm to them…

"Here we are," Aurora came to a sudden stop, Selene clumsily bumping into the yellow one's shoulder. "This is the perfect place to go for special occasions."

Selene's pale cheeks turned into a rosy color as looked down at the tiled floor, "we won't have enough money to buy those kinds of things, Aurora…" A sudden wave of guilt flooded over Selene's thoughts, drowning her with doubts. _She__'__s __probably __getting __something __for __me __with __her _own _money. __Oh __Aura, __how __sweet __of __you!_

"I have plenty of money saved up for the past couple of months from my allowance," the marvelous sun-colored hedgehog replied, pulling a few rings from her purse. Selene sweetly hummed an 'ah hah' and trailed off into the store.

The store was supplied with a variety of dresses. Although most of the clothing were for women, Selene noted the short neon dresses that were in style for teenagers. Aurora shot off to the 'Mature' section of the store, where most of those kinds of apparel would be found. Maybe there was something better than short dresses with vibrant colors. Maybe Selene could discover something that would influence her generation! Selene started down the aisle, slipping her fingers through the silky gowns.

She walked down for quite a while, until something made her hand freeze in place. Selene stayed immobile for a bit, then shifted her indigo eyes in the direction of her hand. Her gloved hand reached up to the metal hanger and pulled it out, revealing a narrow turquoise top knitted to a puffy thin light blue fabric, which had a lot of layers underneath. To hide the knitted parts, a green ribbon separated the top piece from the bottom piece, and another green ribbon was tied at the top of her dress, a large, shiny bow right next to the right shoulder. _Adults __wear __these __kinds __of __things?_ This was _the_ dress. Although Selene herself preferred jeans over dresses, this was an exception; she couldn't wait to get it on and show it to Shadow! The silver hedgehog walked over to her sister, letting her know she was ready.

"Wow, I'm pretty sure Shadow will like the dress too," Aurora smiled brightly. She turned around and quickly grabbed an orange dress. "Let's roll!"

"Hey Aurora, thanks," Selene smiled as she gazed at her dress in the mall. The dress was now hers to keep.

Aurora smiled back at her sister and nodded. "Let's get a snack."

* * *

><p>The sisters had vanilla and chocolate shakes with chocolate donuts. They were stuffed and left the area, getting ready to go home.<p>

"Aurora," a female voice echoed behind her, following after several shoes pounding on the ground. "What are you doing here?" The group of girls made themselves present by squeezing in front of the silver and gold hedgehog, causing them to halt. The 'popular' girls exchanged looks and rolled their eyes.

"What is it?" Aurora sighed, not impressed. She put her hand on her hip and tapped the tip of her shoe on the mall's floor. "I haven't got all day you know."

"Why are you here?" Roseanne sighed loudly, trying to make her point crystal clear. "This is popular girl territory." Her eyes moved to Selene's dress, which the silver hedgehog was holding by her side. She narrowed her eyes and gazed at Selene. "I hope that's _not_ for the dance. Probably for your grandmother's funeral or something." The group of Mobians giggled.

"My grandma's not dead. She'll have a kinder heart than any one of you will," Selene hissed back, her dress flying right behind her. Maybe she should go back to the store and return it…

"What are you going to do?" the orange cat with pink highlights stepped in front. "Go out with Shadow? I DON'T think so."

"He already approved, Jazz," Aurora smirked, "I would probably move aside if I were you."

_Aurora, __no!_

Jazz spun around and faced her group of friends. "Look at that. She and her sister just turned them backs on us. Traitors?" The rest of the group nodded.

"I don't want to be in your group of wannabes. I like to be appreciated for who I am," the sunny hedgehog replied trying to get past them. "Same counts for Selene."

_Aurora, __please __don__'__t __bring __me __into __this._Selene felt nervous when her name was mentioned.

"Now please, let us past."

Like a command, the group quickly moved aside. As the silver hedgehog trotted by, she heard Roseanne whisper something. _"__Shadow__'__s __going __to __dance __with __Tori. __Don__'__t __get __your __hopes __up __high.__" _What? Selene speeded up, just thinking it was her ears fooling around with her. _Shadow__…__and__Tori,__dancing__together?__But__…__he__promised__… _A small tear dripped down her muzzle, but she wiped it away so that Aurora wouldn't notice. The two of them walked home.

* * *

><p>24 hours from now, Selene would be at the dance, waiting for her companion, Shadow. The silver hedgehog giggled at these thoughts, but then remembered what Roseanne said at the mall. What if it was true? Would Shadow lie to her like that? Selene grabbed a giant plush bunny and hugged it tightly, hoping that tomorrow the best case scenario would occur.<p> 


	9. Chapter 9: The Dance

**Chapter 9**

Today was the day Selene had waited for weeks to attend. She would finally be able to express her true feelings to her dark friend, Shadow, who had saved her from trouble several times through the year. The silver hedgehog had remembered the day she had first encountered him; the crowded black and red hedgehog caused Selene to climb a tree for a closer look. When their eyes first met, Selene slipped off a branch and toppled on top of another girl, which caused her to get a purple ring around her eye. Mysterious feelings had gone through her heart when the two went through the city together, which was a day she would never forget. Especially when her counterpart escaped from the law's tight grip and went to her side.

For the past several days Shadow had been acting quite strange, as if he never knew Selene. The last time the two had contact was when he had finally kissed her on the forehead: so many emotions in such a small bit of time, it caught the indigo-eyed hedgehog off guard. Ever since Selene's encounter at the mall, her thoughts were full of doubts. _It can't be though. Why would Shadow and Tori dance? After all he's done for me… It must have probably just been to make me not go. _In fact, Tori and her group of 'friends' would have a fit of giggles every time Selene would pass. It could have just been a funny joke, right?

"Selene," Aurora entered the room in her outfit, her hair with a shiny glow and her wonderful eyes beaming down at her sister, "We'll leave for the dance soon. Do get your dress on soon so I can add some make up on your face?"

Selene nodded, although make up would be the last thing she wanted to put on; but not to insult her sister she went to her closet and pulled out the magnificent turquoise dress. She slipped it on carefully, for as if she heard any sort of CRICK she knew her dress was history. The top was skintight, making it a bit hard to breathe for the silver hedgehog, but the bottom was so puffy that her legs had plenty of room to go to a run if she needed to. The green ribbon that was knitted to the right side of the dress had a small white shine in the center and the tips of the tie barely touched Selene's fur.

Aurora gasped, "Selene, you look amazing. I think it's time to apply some touch ups," the yellow hedgehog guided her twin to the bathroom, where she took out several small containers labeled with shiny letters. "Close your eyes." Selene felt a brush tickle her muzzle, a very odd odor giving out from the powder Aurora was brushing on her face. Momentarily, a puffier brush touched her cheeks. Then, she felt her eyelashes being pushed up, which she knew was mascara being applied. Selene had a high temptation to rub her face, but she knew that if she did her sister would have to reapply all of her magic. Last, she felt a fine brush painting her eyelids: eye shadow. Who knew trying to look decent took so much pain? "Open your eyes."

At first, Selene's eyes were wide in amazement: her muzzle was a snowy white, paler than her fur, but brushed up with a rosy blush to give it some life. She then partially closed her eyes to see her eyelids teal instead of their normal silvery state. "Aurora…thanks so much," the silver hedgehog hugged her twin sister. The two walked downstairs and made their way out of the house.

It was 6'oclock, and the sky was full of stars. The moon was out, making the scenic forest route visible. The road sloped downward eventually, causing the two sisters to slightly run. The cement road then flattened, which made Selene stop for a few seconds. Strong emotions traveled through her mind, her heart beating faster.

_Two shadowy figures ran after each other, both of them flinging snowballs at the other. The one leading slipped and fell into a snow bank, the other one standing beside, giggling. Eventually the two came closer together, close enough to-_

"Selene!" Aurora waved her hand in front of her sister's face, snapping her out of her daydream. "What's wrong? You've been standing here for a minute…"

"Oh…it's nothing…" Selene muttered. _There was a lot of snow, _Selene mentally noted, _it hasn't snowed in hundreds of years. But it was this very spot…it must have been a future sight! _Overhead, spotlights skimmed the skies, which meant only one thing: Selene was close to the dance. Her heart began beating at the pace of her excitement, an uncontrollable smile crossing her face.

"Excited?" Aurora mewed, "It's going to be so fun!"

_I hope so…_

The trees began spreading further apart the more distance the two sisters walked. Eventually, the trees disappeared and showed a wide opening: a large area fluttered with Mobians, and up even further was Crescent lake, which, like the name, was the shape of a quarter moon. Selene spotted on the inner curve of the lake, a large supply of wooden boxes stocked one upon another. At the foot of the lake, music was pouring through loudly, so loud that the bass made Selene's stomach thump. The yellow and silver hedgehogs pulled out their student I.D. when they entered, which meant they could come in for free.

Right by the bank of the lake was a high platform, which held lots of speakers, and in the center was a head phoned DJ working on his computer. DJ's from hundreds of years ago slipped their fingers on discs, but that was old school. Now, anyone could be a DJ if they wanted to.

"Do you see Shadow anywhere?" Selene yelled, trying to be louder than the music.

"Nope," Aurora shouted back, "He should be here soon though."

The silver hedgehog walked past dancing Mobians and sat down on a bench. _What if he abandoned me? _She shuffled nervously around, expecting to see the dark hedgehog soon. Minutes felt like hours, making Selene's anxiety go up; Shadow could be anywhere by now. "You didn't listen to me, did you?" A voice spoke behind Selene, surprising her.

"You are so arrogant. Why didn't you listen to me?" Roseanne walked in front of her, showing who the speaker was. "You're probably waiting for your dear Shadow, right?" the baby blue rabbit scoffed, "I think you're a little late now, deary."

"What?" Selene squeaked.

"I'll show you hon." Roseanne grabbed the silver hedgehog's hand, and pulled her up, a surprising strength for a girl who doesn't even lift a finger. Her ears flew back into Selene's face as both of them were scaling through the crowd, aiming for one point. The light rabbit stopped and thought for a moment, then turned to Selene. "Hey, Selene, I'm sorry."

_What? She's apologizing to me now? _The rosy-cheeked hedgehog widened her eyes, wanting to hear more.

"You know, I haven't been a good person. I was jealous that you had an easy time getting to Shadow's heart while I didn't." Roseanne frowned, pinching her eyes. "It seemed like a walk in the park for you. And to be honest…what I'm going to show you might hurt."

"The truth can hurt," Selene tried to smile, although inside her throat swelled up, as she had started to feel as if she knew what was coming at her. She let go of Roseanne's hand and started to squeeze it with her other hand; she was having a nervous breakdown. The mood of the atmosphere switched among with the song, from being very hyper and excited to a mellow and easy beat. This would mean only one thing: a slow dance song was about to start. Shadow was nowhere in sight.

Mobians were clearing the dance floor, as couples went on. All of them looked as if they were hugging and swaying to the easy beat of the tune; many girls stood by jealously as the school's cutest guys got together with girls, while as the guys standing on the sideline looked rather nerve wrecked as if they were supposed to do something about it.

"Selene," Roseanne bit her pale lip hard, "look out on the dance floor."

Selene could sense a pitiful feeling from Roseanne as she turned her head. Her indigo eyes scanned through the audience, not exactly sure what she was looking for. She looked again, this time more carefully at the couples. At the moment she felt as if she saw what Roseanne was talking about. Doubtful, she moved closer to the dance floor, in front of the dancing couples. What she saw made her throat swell even more; so much that she felt as if she was going to cry.

Her friend, the boy she trusted more than anyone she had ever known, was holding a petite brown fox in his arms: Tori. The anorexic fox laid her head on the taller black hedgehog's shoulder, Shadow showing a lot of discomfort. Shadow stirred around a bit, Tori opening her green eyes at Selene. She narrowed them and smirked, emotionally stabbing Selene in the heart. Black tears flowed down the pale cheeks of the silver hedgehog, making even Shadow notice. _Why would you do that to me?_

"I'm sorry Selene," Roseanne whispered.

_How _could _you?_


	10. Chapter 10: An End to All Ends

**Chapter 10**

Selene had never felt such pain before; even from all the times she had been pushed around, beaten up, and bullied, this moment had overwritten all of them. The silver hedgehog's legs started to shake violently and eventually gave out, making her fall down to the cold barky ground. Her gloved hands pressed down on the ground, tears flowing down her muzzle, Selene's face hidden under her hair. It was simply too much for the hedgehog to handle. Her heart was full of sorrow, yet had a dash of wanting revenge.

The song ended, and the couples parted. The silver hedgehog could hear footsteps shuffling through her triangle ears; a bunch of squeals filled the air, making the silver hedgehog look up, her striking indigo eyes sparkling from tears and her white cheeks streaked with black. Tori's friends were screaming from the excitement at the sight of the brown fox having her held by Shadow; the fox giggled as she pulled on Shadow's arm, causing him to follow her, him trying to slow down and prevent socializing with the group. After a minute Shadow left, Tori trying to reach for his hand; Shadow utterly dodged out of his way and walked in Selene's direction, with an apologetic face.

Selene's blood was boiling, feeling as if her arteries would pop any moment. Even more tears flowed down her face as the dark hedgehog moved closer, step by step. She clenched her knuckles when he came to her side, wanting to punch him in the face as hard as she could. Her indigo eyes went away from the crimson ones; Shadow was the last person who she wanted to see.

The black and red hedgehog knelt down beside the silver one. He took a deep breath and thought for a moment. "Selene…I can explain-"

"No!" Selene whimpered and stood up, looking at him bitterly. "You lied to me! All those things we've gone through," she choked, "does not mean anything to me! You're an idiot!" She turned around and headed for the exit. Selene started to run, padding her way out of the area and onto the scenic forest road. The silver hedgehog turned her head, her long quills flying behind her. She noticed Shadow exiting the admission area, which caused her to hasten her pace. Tall trees started to appear on the sides of the road; now she knew she was entering the scenic forest route. After a while, Selene slowed down, the cold air piercing her throat. She felt a hand grab her arm as she noticed Shadow holding on tight.

"Selene, wait!" he exclaimed, "You have to listen to me!"

"No," Selene snarled, trying to escape his grip, but not doing it successfully, "I'm never going to talk to you again, you jerk!"

She wrestled against Shadow, trying to free from his grasp. Selene then pushed her arm forward, the dark hedgehog's gloved hands still holding on, and slammed her elbow right in his torso. He immediately let go to aid the hit, and Selene scampered off the trails and into the moonlit forest. She knew that the forest expanded miles from the trail and that if she did get lost, she would probably starve to death.

Selene walked out toward the direction to her house, her hopes low. She herself had gone through the woods several times before in her childhood, all those times her parents had to call the police to search for her. Those bad memories made the hedgehog whimper inside.

After an hour of hustling through the tall trees, she finally discovered the tall, elegant metal fencing that bordered the perimeter of her house. The negative factor for this was that the only way to get through the fence was at the entrance, which was right by the road. Shadow could be there and she was not in the mood to even hear about him. So the only way to get past the tall bars was to climb over them. The black painted steel fence towered eight feet high and had sharp spikes at the top of each column to keep intruders out. Selene held onto the narrow bars and scaled her way up, and eventually grabbed on to the small bar that lay vertical. The silver hedgehog pushed herself up and slid over the bar, trying to avoid the spikes, but-her arm slipped and cut right against the top. Blood was dripping from her arm. Her hands grabbed onto the bleeding area and squeezed tightly. Red was dripping between her fingers as she walked into the back door. Selene walked past the kitchen and noticed something…a new set of knives, shining under the kitchen light. No one was in the house…the hedgehog quickly ran over and grabbed the biggest knife she could find…

She walked up to her room and shut the door, locking it as tight as possible. She closed her windows and shut her drapes, so not even a peek of light could enter. She sat down beside her bed, the knife in her hands. Her party dress was torn up…the one that Aurora spent her own money on. Selene's relationship was ruined; the one that she spent weeks working on. The silver hedgehog's reputation was ruined, what she had her entire life. Tears flooded her cheeks again as she closed her eyes. "Is life even worth living for?" she whispered to herself. "Was I meant to be hurt so badly?"

_I bailed out of home to study, I met eyes with him. He gladly held my hand and showed me a world that had been with me all this time: the world outside the city, the life within the urban areas…he showed me a world that I never knew of before. At the face of danger he fought the law to make sure I was okay…_

_When I was on the face of death from injury, he jumped out of the blue and risked his life to save mine._

_I could sense him somewhat sad as he was about to leave my room. He walked over to my side; I felt his lips purse on my forehead. I was in love with Shadow the hedgehog. And for what I knew, he was in love with me too._

"I can't do this anymore," Selene moaned lightly, "Why is it always me?" She held the knife tighter as more pain went through her heart. "I can't live anymore." She held the knife closer to her wrist as she closed her eyes tighter. "The world would be better off without me." The blade rested on her pumping wrist, as her tears slowly began disappearing.

"What would happen if I died at the moment?" Selene thought, "Aurora…she would miss me so much…she would cry for weeks…maybe even months." Selene paused for a moment as her heart began to wreck. "My mom and dad would miss me too, but not as much as Aurora… And grandma! She would not have anyone to talk to…she would be so lonely." The silver hedgehog's ears mellowed down. "And if Shadow actually cared, he would…do anything for me to come back to life."

A few minutes past, Selene thinking of all the lives she had affected…all the lives that would mourn over her loss. Her grip loosened on the knife, the blade balancing on her fur. The blade itself was razor sharp; maybe Selene didn't know its true potentials.

"Selene…" Selene heard a familiar dark voice echo through the hallways. _He's in my house!_ Selene panicked as she heard his footsteps approaching her room. Momentarily, a knock interrupted Selene's thoughts completely. "LEAVE SHADOW!" she screamed.

"Selene, no!"

"THAT'S IT. I'M DONE WITH HAVING MY THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS IGNORED. THIS IS WHERE IT ENDS." Selene coughed, took grip of the knife and cut right through her wrist, blood pumping out.

The silver hedgehog felt like a balloon having its air sucked out of. Her eyes rolled back, and her body gave away. She was dying… _This is where it all ends… _The silver hedgehog fell down on the floor, making a small THUMP!

"NO!" Shadow yelled and pushed down the door, hurdling towards Selene and picking up her unconscious body, a huge red area stained in the carpet.

Selene's face was pale and lifeless. Her body wouldn't budge; blood was still dripping from her wrist, which Shadow took a hold of. "This can't be the end…it can't be…it's impossible…"

* * *

><p><strong>Coming Soon<strong>

**Sunshine**

**The Sequel to Moonlight**


End file.
